Laura Stephens: That sound you heard is the other shoe dropping in the economic crisis and promptly bouncing up to hit college students in the head. One of the consequences

is that an undergraduate student at my school will NOT be returning next year. This is one student that we know about. How many more will just quietly slip off the collegiate radar screen? Which hallowed halls will have a more resonant echo due this loss?

Much of the recent media attention has focused on the difficulties that high school students and their families are facing in order to finance a college education in whole or part. The topic of student retention has been kept out of the public view.

A proposal that works is for current college students to transfer to less expensive schools. Another suggestion has been to pursue more scholarships or grants to supplement the costs.

As the economy continues its downward spiral, college students are facing a more complicated landscape. — blogs.psychologytoday.com